The present invention is directed to systems effecting virtual representation of complex assemblies, and especially to identifying particular parts in an assembly represented by such a system.
There are existing software programs that identify individual parts within an assembly in an on-line format amenable to manipulation. The prior art programs of this type are substantially focused upon a manufacturing environment, permitting substantially automatic generation of materials lists required for producing an assembly. Other related reports and lists may be produced using such programs as well.
However, the manufacturing process intended application of such prior art on-line systems and apparatuses results in a user having to access the entire system to identify a small solution group of parts within the assembly. By way of example and not by way of limitation, in the case of an on-line manufacturing system and apparatus appropriate for assembly or manufacturing of an airplane, a user desiring to identify a solution group of parts bounding an identified group of parts must load the entire parts catalog of the system encompassing the entire airplane in order to conduct a search for the solution group. Further, because of the manufacturing-related nature of the system and apparatus, the user likely needs to also know the process flow and the layout of the finished assembly in order to effect the exemplary desired search. In the case of a large complex commercial aircraft, loading the on-line descriptions for an entire parts inventory is too large for most computers available for such an inquiry, and the search must therefore be conducted by loading the parts inventory descriptions in sections. This is a cumbersome process that occupies computing assets unnecessarily and thus interferes with other processes for which the computing assets may be needed.
An example of when one may find it useful to locate a parts or parts near to or adjacent to an identified part or group of parts is when one seeks to verify, produce, amend or otherwise treat a repair manual or a service bulletin. Having to use the cumbersome process previously available for searching among products of an assembly as described above would be awkward, inefficient and disruptive to manufacturing or other applications using the on-line parts inventory system and apparatus.
It would be advantageous if a user could access an on-line parts inventory system for the purpose of identifying a solution group of parts with respect to an identified target volume containing a part or a group of parts. The solution group may be comprised of relevant parts having a predetermined relationship with respect to the target volume. A method and apparatus providing such a capability for a user avoids having to load an entire parts inventory and use information relating to a process flow and layout of a finished assembly.
By way of example and not by way of limitation, using an on-line parts system defining a part-containing volume for substantially all parts in the on-line system with respect to an origin, such an advantageous system and apparatus permits a user to identify a target volume containing at least one target part, identify parts in the on-line parts system having a part-containing volume with a predetermined relationship with the target volume as relevant parts. Such an identification process may be carried out without loading the entire parts inventory for searching. The relevant parts may be included in the desired solution group for use, by way of example and not by way of limitation, in producing a service bulletin relating to parts contained within the target volume. Examples of a useful predetermined relationship between a part-containing volume and the target volume may include, by way of example and not by way of limitation, an abutting relationship between the two volumes or an overlapping relationship between the two volumes.
There is a need for a method and apparatus for determining a solution group of parts in an assembly that permits a user to effect identifying parts having a predetermined relationship with a target volume substantially containing a target part or a target group of parts.